Mixed news for football teams’ academic progress

A study of the 70 schools selected for college football bowl games this season showed football teams maintained high recent academic progress, but the gap between black and white players persists.

The annual report released yesterday by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport showed overall Graduation Success Rate improvement from 68 to 69 percent for football players at the bowl-bound schools.

Also, 97 percent of schools received a score higher than the target 925 (equal to an expected graduation rate of 50 percent) on the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate. Teams with a four-year APR of 925 or below face penalties, including loss of scholarships.

“I think the threat of the loss of scholarships has great meaning for coaches today,” said Richard Lapchick, the primary author of the study. “Even with football teams being so much bigger than in basketball, coaches want to protect those slots. They have become more engaged themselves and are getting the resources into academic affairs.”

This year’s numbers show a 20 percentage point gap between the graduation rate of white and black athletes, 82 percent to 62 percent. Lapchick, though, is encouraged that the rate for black athletes has risen consistently; as recently as 2009, the rate was 58 percent.

• John Lloyd Crigler, a forward on Kentucky’s 1958 national championship basketball team, died Saturday in Georgetown, Ky., at age 76. Crigler played under coach Adolph Rupp and scored 14 points in the 1958 title game against Elgin Baylor’s Seattle team.

CYCLING

LeMond makes pitch to head world governing body

Greg LeMond said the president of the International Cycling Union can’t remain in his job while a panel examines possible links between the organization and the doping case involving Lance Armstrong.

UCI announced Friday that a three-man panel will scrutinize president Pat McQuaid and his predecessor, Hein Verbruggen, over their relationship with Armstrong. The governing body denied claims made by former Armstrong teammates that it covered up suspicious samples from Armstrong and that the American rider enjoyed special protection. After meeting with the advocacy group Change Cycling Now, LeMond said he would be willing to run cycling in the interim.

“I would love to be part of the process of change, and if that means as interim president then I would be willing to do that,” LeMond, a three-time Tour de France winner, said. “I said, ‘If we can’t find anyone more qualified, I will do whatever I can to help change the sport.’ I am definitely not pushing myself … cycling needs radical change, it needs new leadership.”

SOCCER

Real Salt Lake trades three veteran players

Real Salt Lake traded top veterans Fabian Espindola and Jamison Olave to New York and midfielder Will Johnson to Portland for an undisclosed amount of allocation money. General manager Garth Lagerwey said salary cap constraints forced the trades.

Espindola was an All-Star in 2012, and he started 104 career games for the club, registering 35 goals and 17 assists. Olave appeared in 119 games and was 2010 MLS defender of the year. Johnson spent the better part of five seasons with RSL, and all three played a major role on teams that won the MLS Cup in 2009 and qualified for five consecutive playoffs.

The team earlier traded forward Justin Braun to Toronto FC in exchange for defenseman Aaron Maund.

• Colorado acquired midfielder/forward Atiba Harris from Vancouver for an international roster spot in the 2015 and 2016 MLS seasons. Harris is a seven-year pro with 17 goals and 19 assists in 138 matches for four clubs.

• Chicago declined options on defender Gonzalo Segares and midfielder Corben Bone. Segares played in 178 games over eight seasons (11 goals, 13 assists), and Bone made 17 appearances over three seasons.

OLYMPICS

Utah enters bid for 2026 Winter Games

Utah officials in Salt Lake City announced plans for a long-shot bid for another Winter Olympics, saying they already have the venues in place and have left behind the taint of scandal from the 2002 Games.

The bid for 2026 is contingent on the U.S. Olympic Committee deciding it will endorse a city for those games. Nevada officials said they were waiting for a USOC decision before making a possible bid on behalf of Reno-Tahoe.